MOMBASA DAY ONE

WELCOME TO MOMBASA!  

We arrived in Mombasa early in the morning for our day one adventure.  We were originally scheduled to spend two days in Mombasa, followed by a couple days in Zanzibar, Tanzania, however, there was a cholera outbreak in Tanzania, so, to keep us safe, Viking elected to add an additional day to our Mombasa stay and skipping Zanzibar.  After reading what the Viking Daily published about Mombasa, we were excited to be visiting there.  Here’s what was published:

“MOMBASA, KENYA - 

From the rolling plains of the Maasai Mara, to the legendary Big Five and the Great Migration, to the pristine beaches of the Indian Ocean, Kenya is a land of breathtaking beauty and diversity.  Experience the warmth of Swahili culture, explore vibrant markets, and savor world-famous Kenyan coffee and tea.  Whether you’re admiring Mount Kenya, sailing on a traditional dhow, or hearing the friendly greeting “Jambo!” wherever you go, Kenya promises an unforgettable adventure filled with wildlife, history, and coastal charm.

Kenya’s chief port and a coastal gem, Mombasa is a melting pot of traditions.  Located on a coralline island and linked by a causeway to the African mainland, it boasts a rich tapestry of Middle Eastern and African cultures, having been a key Indian Ocean port since the 14th century.  The narrow streets of Mombasa’s old town are lined with ornately styled architecture and home to mosques, cathedrals and Hindu temples, while lateen-rigged dhows and small vessels anchor in its ancient port between trips to trade with the Arabian Peninsula, Persian Gulf and India.”

Uh NO!  I’m sure a tourism firm somewhere publishes wonderful things about their country in order to get tourists to come.  I understand that there are beautiful places in Mombasa - our friend’s son actually got married in Mombasa and said that it was absolutely beautiful. Mmmmm…..  not the area that we saw.  

As we exited the ship we were greeted by dancers from Mombasa.  They made us smile!

Our excursion today was an included tour called “Mombasa Highlights”.  We took a coach to the downtown area and saw the famous Elephant Tusks over Moi Avenue, a major thoroughfare in Mombasa.  Our tour guide said that you haven’t been to Mombasa unless you see the tusks.  They were erected here as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth who visited Mombasa as a princess and left as a queen due to the death of her father while she was visiting Mombasa.  Apparently, she was never able to return to Mombasa to see the monument that was erected in her honor.

On our tour today, we visited a Hindu Temple which required that we remove our shoes in order to enter.  There was beautiful statuary and ornate scenes in the temple, many depicting religious scenes similar to the stations of the cross found in Catholic Churches.

We then took a “scenic” drive through the main part of the town.  In my opinion, it was not pretty at all and was very chaotic.  One could sense how much poverty existed in this town.  I was unprepared for that…..

Most of the buildings were painted blue and white - the colors of Mombasa and a requirement for the city buildings.  Still - even though this concept probably had merit, because of the devastation of poverty in the city, it was not a good look…….

After our downtown tour, we went to a woodworking factory just outside of the main downtown area.  Wow, just wow!  The “factory” consisted of  dirt floors and partitioned cubicles where “these artists” created the most amazing carvings!  No pattern, just skill.  The workers were excited to have their photos taken and were so proud of their work.  Can you imagine these conditions in the USA?  Nope!  Our factory tour was followed by a visit to their shop.  Each item for sale had a mark (a number) of its creator.  Of course, several items came home with us - a beautiful carved bowl for me, a couple carved animals for Mark’s office and some gifts for our kids.

We visited the Fort Jesus and Old town.  I did think this area was quite charming and interesting.  This  was a Portuguese Fort designed in the shape of a human and one could visualize just how it was back in the day when it was in use.  A set of stairs led to a dug out tunnel that led outside to the shore. Apparently, captured Kenyans (who had been sold into slavery) went down that stairway and boarded a ship, never to return to Africa…..

Here are more photos of our visit to Mombassa.  These are of “Old Town” which is just outside the entrance to Fort Jesus.  Very old buildings are here which have stood the test of time and remained quite charming.  Not much here, however.  A few vendors sat outside on the sidewalk with their wares, a church and a restaurant were along the walkway.  The town was very empty so I wasn’t sure if the buildings were inhabited or not.  At any rate, I enjoyed our walk here.  Unfortunately, our tour was running late so we toured this area at a very quick pace in order to get back on board the bus for our trip back to the ship.  I would have enjoyed lingering……. At any rate, I was able to snap a few rustic/charming doorways!

  

My final thoughts about this day in Mombasa:  The town was not nearly as clean and inviting as I had anticipated.  It was not well maintained and the inhabitants seemed to be very poor, although there were many nice cars traveling in the busy, congested streets. Also, it was a very hot and humid day, and I came back in a bad mood.  I think that it was not just the heat, but the concept of how these people really lived that I found depressing…….